Minnesota Wild Announced Date and Match-ups for 20th Annual "Hockey Day Minnesota"

SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The Minnesota Wild, in conjunction with Minnesota Hockey and the Hastings Local Organizing Committee, today announced the date for the 20th Annual Hockey Day Minnesota (HDM), presented by United Healthcare. United Heroes League's outdoor rink in Hastings will serve as the venue for the 20th annual statewide hockey celebration and will host eight days of competition culminating on Saturday, January 24, when the Minnesota Wild hosts the Florida Panthers at Grand Casino Arena at 8 p.m. in Saint Paul.

Notably, Hockey Day Minnesota 2026 will feature an outdoor professional hockey game for the first time in event history, with the Iowa Wild hosting the Milwaukee Admirals in American Hockey League (AHL) action at the United Heroes League complex on Friday, January 23. This will mark the first outdoor hockey game in Iowa Wild history and the 13th outdoor game played in AHL history.

“We are thrilled to celebrate the 20th annual Hockey Day Minnesota in Hastings,” said Minnesota Wild CEO Matt Majka. “The state-of-the-art venue and unique atmosphere provided by Hastings and United Heroes League will create an unforgettable experience for fans and participants alike."

HOCKEY DAY MINNESOTA 2026 WEEKEND SCHEDULE

Friday, Jan. 23:

5 p.m.: Iowa Wild vs. Milwaukee Admirals (American Hockey League)

Saturday, Jan. 24:

Time TBA: Hastings vs. Park Cottage Grove (Girls Varsity)

Time TBA: Hastings vs. East Ridge (Boys Varsity)

Time TBA: Rock Ridge vs. St. Thomas Academy (Boys Varsity)

8 p.m.: Minnesota Wild vs. Florida Panthers (National Hockey League) at Grand Casino Arena

Tickets will be required for attendance to each day of Hockey Day Minnesota and can now be purchased using the following link. The Iowa Wild - Milwaukee Admirals game on Friday, Jan. 23 will require a separate ticket and will go on sale to the general public on Monday, August 4.

A complete event and competition schedule for Hockey Day Minnesota 2026 is expected to be released in August.

"We are deeply honored to be hosting the 20^th anniversary of Hockey Day Minnesota in our hometown of Hastings,” said Jeff Taffe, Co-Chair of the HDM2026 – Hastings Local Organizing Committee. “Having grown up in this community playing hockey before my professional career I know how special this will be for our local youth hockey players, military kids, and their families. We are truly grateful that the Minnesota Wild have placed their trust and confidence in us to execute the best, most elaborate Hockey Day Minnesota to date."

"A few years ago we set out to build Minnesota’s greatest outdoor ice rink on our Tradition Veterans Complex here in rural Hastings,” said Shane Hudella, President of United Heroes League. “The response from the hockey community has been incredible and we are extremely excited to serve as the host site for this historic event. A special thank you to our partners like the Minnesota Wild who helped make our rink a reality, and to our local HDM partners and the City of Hastings who have invested in the event to make it a huge success."

Information and updates on Hockey Day Minnesota 2026 can be found at hockeydaymn.com.

About Hockey Day Minnesota

Hockey Day Minnesota originated in 2007 by the Minnesota Wild to celebrate the game that has made Minnesota the State of Hockey. It is produced in partnership with Bally Sports North, Minnesota Hockey and the respective local community that serves as host each year. Host locations include Baudette Bay (2007, 2008), Phalen Park (2009), Hermantown (2010), Moorhead (2011), Minnetonka (2012), Grand Rapids (2013), Elk River (2014), Saint Paul (2015), Duluth (2016), Stillwater (2017), St. Cloud (2018), Bemidji (2019), Minneapolis (2020), Guidant John Rose MN Oval (2021), Mankato (2022), White Bear (2023), Warroad (2024), Shakopee (2025) and Hastings (2026). For more information, visit wild.com/hockeyday.

About United Heroes League

United Heroes League is a 501(c)(3) non-profit based in Hastings, Minnesota. The charity assists families of all branches of the military by providing free sports equipment, free youth camps, financial grants to help pay youth sports fees, special experiences, and pro sports tickets so the entire family can enjoy a night out at a game before or after deployment. For more information visit www.unitedheroesleague.org.

Flex, 11-Game, half and full-season memberships are available for purchase. Please visit tickets.wild.com or contact a Wild Ticket Sales Representative by calling or texting (651) 222-WILD (9453) for more information. Group reservations of eight or more tickets can place a deposit now, contact [email protected] for more information. Deposits are also being accepted for single game suite rentals, contact [email protected] for more information. Pricing and on-sale dates for Minnesota Wild 2025-26 preseason and regular-season single-game tickets will be announced later this summer.

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